Vi Tattari is mayor and architect of her own little town.
Every Christmas her set up keeps getting bigger with more shops and houses as the population grows. And like magic, new streets and trees appear on the landscape.
She began her little village with just two ceramic buildings, a church and farmhouse, along with fleece for snow and accessories, in her bay window.
Over the years, her collection grew bigger and so did the need for more space.
Now it is set up in three display areas in the Dean’s offices at CNC making it an annual tradition for college students, staff, their children, grandchildren and other visitors to enjoy.
Last year the village was set up for the Winter Olympics with tiny Canadian flags and Olympic rings.
There is lots to see in the display with dozens of buildings: houses, schools, pool hall, radio station, book store, library, pizza place and two Saskatchewan granaries along with trees, bridges, a hilltop skating rink, fire pits and working train.
Scenes are set in a soft bed of sparkling snow.’
“People give me pieces as gifts and some of them I have collected myself over the years,” said Tattari. “I like the 3-D ones because the kids can look inside. That’s why I have the villages set down low, so they can see everything.
“We’re looking for a college building and a hospital right now.”
Some parts of the display required innovation. When a rural scene was needed and she couldn’t find a barn for animals, the family built one.
The village display was set up at CNC five years ago and with the help of her daughter Michelle and husband Brian, Tattari gives it a re-design every year.This year they created three villages with 52 buildings and hundreds of accessories.
The display is open for viewing until Jan. 28 during regular CNC office hours.

About the Author

Teresa Mallam is community editor and award winning columnist for the Prince George Free Press. She's won the Jack Webster Award of Distinction, Canadian Authors Association Award for Best Investigative Journalism (B.C. Report Magazine story on the murder of Mary Jane Jimmie,) B.C. Law Society Award for Excellence in Legal Reporting, Cariboo Mining Association (CMA) Award for Best Mining Reporting of the Year and Jerry MacDonald Award for community reporting for a story on homelessness.